Apparatus for machining propeller-blades



S. HEATH. APPARATUS FOR MACHINING PROPELLER BLADES.

APPLQCATION FILED FEB. 23, 1918- I 1,373,813, v Patented Apr. 5,1921.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

gwmntoz (limo 1411 nmrao STATES PATEN orrics.

SEENCEB HEATH, 0F BALTIEQRE, MARYLAND Arrmrus r03. macnmmo rnornuna-nnenns.

To all whamitma/y oomem: Be it known that I, SPENCER HEATH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore, .in the State of Maryland, have invented new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for. Machining Propeller-Blades, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improved apparatus for machining and milling large helical surfaces such as those of propellers or propeller blades.

One object of the invention is to provide a simple machine in which the movement of a cutter member follows substantially automatically the movement of a model follower actuated by the contact of the same agamst the surface of a model.

Another feature of the invention is the design and mounting of the cutter members and the model follower members on a pivoted frame balanced by means of an electric motor.

Another feature of the invention is the arrangement of the single control means. for adjustin the vertical and horizontal position of t e cutter and model follower memtially in section, of an apparatus constructed 4-4 of Fig. 1.- a

bers.

Further obiects of the invention will be described and claimed in the following s ecification and claims and illustrated in t e accompanying drawings in which,

Figure 1 represents a side elevation paraccording to mv invention.

Fig. 1 represents a fragmentary view looking upward at the cutter carrying support and showing the cutter members carried thereby. I

Fig. 1 represents a fragmentary view taken on the line 11 of Fig. 1 showing the single control means.

. r Fig. 2 represents 3'. Ian view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, s owing the means for reciprocating the primary carriage.

Fig. 3 represents a front view of the pri-- mary carriage showing the controlling means for the motor.

Fig. 4 is a sectlonal view taken on Referring in detail to the drawings, 1 rep resents the horizontal work support and 2 represents a similar horizontal model support located immediately below and parallel.

therewith. These supports 1 and 2 are held stationa'" and. in a xed relation to each other at heir outer ends by suitable upright Specification of Letters Patent.

the line Patented Apr. 5. 1921.

Application filed February 23, 1918. Serial No. 218,857. 1

supports, not shown. Mounted on tracks 3 below the supports 11 and}2 and parallel therewith 1s a prlmary carriage 4 provided with wheels 5 adapted to engage the tracks 3. The wheels 5 are-rigidly mounted on horizontalaxles 6 journaled in the opposite vertical s des 7 and 7 of the carriage 4. Rig- 1dly fasten'edin any suitable manner to the flanges and 8 respectively, "of the sides 7 v and 731s a U shaped frame 9, having its upright sldes 9 extending horizontally and in the same direction with the axles 6. Mounted on top of the upright sides 9 for movement parallel therewith is a secondary carriage 10 provided with triangular side members 11 extending parallel to the sides 9.-

The forward end of the secondary carriage 10 is supported on the sides 9 by means of flanged wheels 12, constituting driven members, keyed on an axle 13 journaled in the sides 11 of the secondary carriage 10. The

wheels 12 are provided with gear teeth 14 adapted to mesh with a rack, 14*, fastened to the sides 9? as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The rearward end of the secondary carriage 10 1s slidably supported on the sides 9 by means of plates 15 fastened to the secondary carriage 10. The plates 15 are provided with grooves 16 (see Fig. 4) slidably engaging tongues 17 fastened to the sides 9. These plates 15 serve to slidably anchor the The frame on supports 1 and 2 is a horizontal axle 22 having keyed to its ends the rotary cutters 23 and .23. Carried by the support 18 directly below the axle 22 is a horizontal axle 24 carrying at either end thereof the rotatably circular wheels 25 and' 25. These wheels 25 and 25 are hereinafter termed model followers and are adapted to slide or roll on the surface of the form serving as a model and denoted by the reference numeral 2, mounted upon the support 2. The work 1* which is to be formed lnto a propeller blade by means of the cutter 23 is fastened to the upper surface of the support 1 by suitable supports or clamps indicated diagrammatically at 1". Mounted rlgidly on the rear end of the support 19 is an electric motor 26 for rotatlng the cutters 23 and 23. A belt 27 connects the motor 26 to a pulley 28 keyed to the shaft 22. The motor 26 also acts to maintain the supports 18 and 19 in a balanced position. Directly beneath the motor 26 is a screw-threaded rod 29 journaled in bearings 30 carried by the support 19. On therod 29 is an auxillary balancing weight 31 adjustable lengthwise thereon by means of the hand wheel 32.

The movement of the secondary or upper carriage 1O forwardly or rearwardly 1s controlled by means of a hand wheel 33, earned by the forward end of the support 18. The wheel 33 is keyed at one end to a horlzontal axle 34 having a sprocket wheel 35, constituting a drive member, keyed to its other end. The sprocket wheel 35 is connected to a larger driven sprocket wheel 36, keyed to the axle 13, by means of a chain Thus by rotating the hand wheel 33 in e1ther direction a corresponding movement is 1mparted to the flanged wheels 12 causing a horizontal movement of the secondary carriage 10. By a downward or upward pressure on the hand wheel 33, the cutter members 23, 23 and the model followers 25, 25 are brought into and out of engagement, respectively, with the work 1 and the model 2. This is made possible because of the pivotally balanced frame members 18 and 19 adapted to move together. The rapidity with which the cut is'made by the rotary cutters 23, 23 can be varied according to the degree of ressure brought to bear on the hand whee 33.

The lower or primary carriage 4 is moveduninterruptedly along the tracks 3, and

transversely to the adjustment movement of the upper or secondary carriage, by the power supplied from the electric motor 38 mounted on the carriage 4. Mounted on the inner side 7 of the carria e 4 and adapted to turn freely is a long 111 e 39. On the opposite side 7 a is a sha 40 having at its ends the worm gears 41 adapted to engage correspondin ears 42 mounted rigidly with the axle 6 0551s lower carriage 4. On the shaft 40 between the work gears 41 and immediately opposite the pulley 39 is a drive pulley 43 and a loose ulley 44 and a similar pulley 45 on either slde thereof. The pulley 43 is' rigidly fastened to the shaft 40 and adapted to turn therewith. A drive belt 46 extends from'the motor 38 to the ulley 39 near the center of the latter. xtending from the pulley 39 on one side of the belt 46 is a straight belt 47 extending to the loose pulley 45, and on the other side is a crossed belt 48 extending from the pulley 39 to the loose pulley 44. At the front of the entire appa- "Figs. 1 and ratus adjacent the hand wheel 33 is a handle 49 acting as a lever'to rock the shaft 50 supported on the carriage 4. The shaft 50 is connectedto a belt shifting rod 51 suitably supported by a rod 52 (see Fig. 3). Fastened to the shifting rod 51 are the belt engaging members 53 and 54. It will be observed that when the belt 47 is moved to the ulley 43 it will be driven counterclockwise.

onversely, when the belt 48 is moved to the pulley 43 it will be driven in a clockwise direction. The speed of travel of the carriage 4 along the tracks 3 will depend upon the ratio. of pulleys and worm gearing. The

control of the belts and application of power may be regulated at will by the hand lever 49. Mounted on the front of the horizontal support 2 and projecting horizontally forward from the same is a pm 55 inserted into one of a series of openings. This pin is adapted to engage with a rod 56 which is also connected to the shaft 50. Endwise movement of the carriage 4 will bring the rod 56 into engagement with the pin 55 thus shifting the belts and reversing the application of power and the movement of the carria e.

'%he hand lever 49 is normally held ina vertical inoperative position by means of rollers 57 engaging 'a spring member 58 (see he rollers 57 are carried by a suitable support 59 fastened to the shaft 50. A rod 60 fastened to the shaft 50 is connected to a knife switch 61 by means of a link 62. This switch is in circuit with the electric motor 38 and is open when the hand lever 49 is in its normal inoperative position.

The operation of the structure will be understood from the foregoing description of the construction when considered with the followingexplanation. The model surface or form to be followed is indicated at 2. It will be observed that the structure provides a surface considerably broader than the surface of the work which is indi- 110 cated at 1*. This is arranged in this manner so that the model follower wheel 25 or 25 would not slip off the edge of the structure and allow the cutter members to cause an damage by suddenly dropping off the wor 115 1. In operating the machine the, operator would grasp the lever 49 in one hand andthe wheel 33 in the other hand. By oscillating the lever 49 the cutter members are reciprocated in continuous movement longitu- 120 dinally of the work. By rotating the wheel 26 alternately in both directions the cutter members are moved .for adjustment transversely of the work, and by exerting an upward or downward pressure on the wheel 33 125 the cutters can be placed into or out of cutting engagement with the work. The rapidity with which the cut is made can be regulated by the degree of downward pressure exerted on the hand wheel 33. It will this .130

be observed that by this arrangement any desired cuttin movement can be given the cutters at will by the manipulation of the lever 40 and the wheel 26. In the operation of this machine the continuous lengthwise movement of the power driven primary carriage and cutter member provides for stroke or travel, and accordingly the adjustment is at right angles to the path of power driven travel and is entirely hand controlled;

Stroke or travel makes the out, and adjustment normall takes place between cuts and, therefore, di ers from stroke or travel.

From the foregoing it will be clear that this invention provides a machine which is simple in construction and easy to operate. The invention includes the use of equivalent methods of actuating the control means and such changes are contemplated within the scope of the invention. While I have shown and described my invention as being used in machining and millin propeller blades, it is to be understood t at it may be used for shaping articles other than propellers, such as struts.

What I claim is:

1. In an apparatus for machining propeller blades comprising a stationary model support, a stationary work support parallel thereto, a power driven primary carriage mounted to travel within a predetermined distance and substantially parallel to said work support and to effect a continuous cutting movement lengthwise of the work, means to move said primary'carriage in said continuous travel lengthwise of the work, a secondary carriage mounted to be adjusted transversely on said primary carriage and substantially at right angles to the line of movement of said primary carriage for each successive cutting position, a tool carrying frame pivotally mounted on said secondary carriage, a model follower member mounted on said frame, a cutter member mounted on said frame and at a constant distance from said model follower member, and a common manually operated control member carried said frame for reciprocating said secondary carriage and rocking said frame.

2. In an apparatus for machining propeller blades comprising a stationary model support, a stationary work support parallel thereto, a power driven primary carriage mounted to travel parallel to said supports during the cutting action to effect a continuous cutting movement lengthwise of the work, means to move said primary carriage in said continuous travel lengthwise of the work, a secondary carriage mounted on said 7 primary carriage capable of manual adjustment transversely to said supports, and sub stantially at right angles to the line of move-" ment of said primary carriage for each successive cutting position, a frame'pivoted to actuating means for rocking said frame,,and

operating means for said cutter member mounted at the rearward end of said frame whereby the. frame is maintained in-a balanced position. a

3. In an apparatus of the class described, a stationary modelv support, a stationary work support parallel thereto, a power driven primary carriage to effect a cutting movement lengthwise of the work, a secondary carriage mounted to be adjusted transversely on said primary carriage and substantially at right angles to the line of movement of said primar carriage for each successive cutting positlon, a cutter supporting arm pivotally mounted on said secondary carriage and extending on either side of the pivotal point, a model follower arm pivotally mounted on said secondary carriage parallel to said cutter supporting arm, a link connecting said arms, a model follower member carried by said model follower supwork support parallel thereto, a primary carriage mounted to travel within a predetermined distance and substantially parallel to said work support and to effect a continuous cutting movement lengthwise of the work, means to move said primary carriage in said continuous travel lengthwise of the work, a secondary carriage mounted to be adjusted transversely on said primary carriage and substantially at right angles to the line of movement of said primary carriage for each successive cutting position, a

cutter member, a model follower member, a frame pivoted to said secondary carriage having said cutter member and said model follower member mounted thereon in a fixed relation to each other, means for balancing said frame,.and a unitary controlling means for adjusting said secondary carriage transversely and oscillating said frame, said unitary controlling 'means consisting of a driving member carried by said frame, a driven member carried by said secondary carriage and engaging said primary carrlage, and a drlvmg connection between said driving and driven members.

5. In an apparatus for machining propeller blade comprising a stationary model support, a stationary work support parallel thereto, a power driven primary carriage mounted to travel parallel to'said supports during the cutting action and to effect a cutting movement lengthwise of the work, a secondary carriage mounted on said primary carriage and capable of adjustment transversely to said supports and substantially at right anglesto the line of movement of said 15 primary carriage for each successive cutting in fixed relation to each other at the forward, 20

end of said frame, manually operated actuating means for said frame, and operating means for said cutter member mounted at the rearward end of said frame whereb the frame is maintainedin a balanced POSIF 25 tion.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

SPENCER HEATH. 

